Retirement Letter

July 22, 2015

Dear Dr. Steven J. Adamowski,

After more than 46 years of teaching and being an administrator, including the past twelve years with the Norwalk School District as Brookside Elementary School’s Principal, I have decided that it is time for me to retire. I plan to complete the current school year before officially retiring on June 30, 2016.

Over the past twelve years, I have had the opportunity to work with a group of excellent assistants as well as a staff that accomplished many goals that impacted children’s lives.  I want to thank the Brookside community for all of their support over the years. I also want to thank the many people of Norwalk who supported the school over the last dozen years.

One of my favorite quotes is from Alfred Lord Tennyson “the shell must break before the bird can fly.” It is my time to look for other challenges in my life.

Feel free to contact me if you wish to further discuss my pending retirement.

Respectfully,

David S. Hay

Bacon bombs!

Bacon potato cheddar tart

I’ve been making this dish for a long time. It’s a bit involved but it remains one of the most impressive potato dishes I know. This special occasion treat features the classic trio of potatoes, bacon and cheddar. It will take you a while to make, but the results are more than worth it. It’s the sort of thing that looks complicated until you try it and quickly realize how simple it is to master.

YIELD: MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Ingredients

2 pounds (1 kg) of room-temperature bacon
Lots of freshly ground pepper
4 cups (1L) of shredded aged cheddar
5 or 6 large baking potatoes (unpeeled)
A sprinkle or two of sea salt and freshly grated pepper
1 onion, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced

Procedure

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).

Carefully arrange the bacon in a radial pattern from the center of the bottom of a 10- or 12-inch (25 or 30 cm) round non-stick baking pan; arrange the bacon so that it fits along the bottom of the pan, continuing up and over the sides. Let the ends hang over. The slices should overlap slightly around the sides of the pan. To reduce the thickness of the bacon in the center, stagger every other piece, starting it 2 inches (5 cm) from the center and extending it further than the adjacent slices.

With the palm of your hand, flatten the center area, leaving no gaps in the bacon. Season the bacon with lots of pepper and then sprinkle on several spoonfuls of the shredded cheddar.

Slice the potatoes as thinly and uniformly as you can, about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Arrange a circular pattern of overlapping slices around the inside bottom edge of the pan. Continue arranging overlapping layers of the potatoes until the bottom is evenly covered. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.

Mix together the onion and garlic and sprinkle some of the mixture onto the potatoes. Continue with a layer of the shredded cheese. Cover with another layer of the potato, pressing it down firmly before continuing with alternate layers of the potatoes, onion mixture and cheese, insetting each a bit from the edge of the pan until the top is 1 inch (2.5 cm) or so higher than the pan’s rim. Fold the overhanging bacon neatly up and over the top of the potatoes.

Trim a small piece of parchment paper and place it in between an ovenproof lid and the bacon. This will prevent the bacons ends from pulling back and shrinking during cooking.

Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for at least 2 1/2 to 3 hours. You’ll know it’s done when a small, thin bladed knife inserts easily.

Pour off as much of the fat around the edges as possible. Let the tart stand for 15 minutes and then invert it onto a cutting surface. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

Wraping Onions Around Beef

Wraping Onions Around Beef.

·         Art & Culture

Jul 18, 2015

This perfect BBQ recipe called ‘BBQ Onion Bombs

Here’s what you’ll need: 

2 yellow onions
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup onions, diced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. spicy ketchup
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 pack of bacon
1 bottle of BBQ sauce

To start making these tasty BBQ meatball onion bombs, preheat your oven to 425 °F.

>Cut off the tops and bottoms of the onions and remove the exterior skin. Cut the onion in half and peel the layers apart, keeping the biggest layers to stuff with meat.

Setting the onion layers aside, mix the ground beef, diced onion, parsley, mushroom, brown sugar, condiments, and bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl by hand.

Place a handful of the meatloaf mixture inside two of the onion layer pieces.

Wrap the onion meatballs in bacon, using three slices per ball. Secure the bacon with toothpicks to keep it from unraveling during cooking.

Bake in a dish at 425 °F for 40 minutes. Cover the balls in BBQ sauce and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

The result will be the perfect addition to your summer party — a bacon meatball onion bomb that is both sweet and savory!

50th year's ago we graduated from Ashby High School 1965

Ladies Left to Right Linda Koski-Sandra Tyler-Arlene Boudreau-Sharron Wilkerson-Kandy Walton
Gentlemen Left to Right John Mickola -David Hay-Larry Bancroft

Lyman Building